Has anybody used the coop in Brooklyn? As a 55 year old would I be totally out of place there? I'm building wheels and would prefer to use a stand and a dishing tool, and even better a tensionometer during the build, but I could also do without. Is the Brooklyn coop even stocked, or is the one in Manhattan a better choice? Or am I dreaming and I'll be lucky to even find a decent tool there?

When I lived in Seattle I belonged to the Wright Bros. coop in Fremont for a while, and I actually still have the custom built bike I bought through them in 1981. I'd always supported my local coops, although I won't step foot into the Park Slope food nazi coop. (I actually stopped going into coops altogether after my one and only encounter there. There was a funny article in the NY Times about them not that long ago and it wasn't very flattering.)

I don't generally feel out of place as an older cyclist, and prefer riding with a younger crowd, but it is different when not on the bike. Somehow talking about being out all night, drinking until you can't stand up anymore just doesn't appeal to me. It sounds too much like what I did when I was young.

08-29-11, 09:43 PM

HaChayalBoded

Quote:

Originally Posted by zacster

I won't step foot into the Park Slope food nazi coop. (I actually stopped going into coops altogether after my one and only encounter there. There was a funny article in the NY Times about them not that long ago and it wasn't very flattering.)

Mind if i ask what the article was about? Friend had an article written about them the other day, also not very flattering.

09-01-11, 02:01 PM

zacster

Wow, a two year old question finally gets a response, with another question!

The gist of the article is that there are so many work rules and requirements that anybody with a regular job just can't keep up with it, plus the work assigned is so totally unnecessary at times. They embrace the Soviet model of management (manage by consensus, dissenters are banished), so maybe that's a more apt name than "food nazi"

All of my friends feel the same way too, so it isn't just me and the NY Times.

01-03-14, 03:56 PM

zacster

Bump. I guess after 4 years I still didn't get an answer, and I'm looking to build wheels again. I'm even older now.

01-05-14, 12:31 PM

wheelreason

Quote:

Originally Posted by zacster

Bump. I guess after 4 years I still didn't get an answer, and I'm looking to build wheels again. I'm even older now.

Build them like you did the last pair? You know your supposed to get wiser as you get older (and party your ass off when you're young).

01-06-14, 10:11 AM

Cyclerock

Tradition of respondiong to old posts.

Times-Up, in Brooklyn, has a truing stand, and dishing tool. They may not have a spoke tensionometer. It is a comfortable atmosphere there.

The T.U. rides are super fun, but not so much of a work out. They are sort of like a 'hang out', social ride, site seeing, thing. Each ride is different, though. One of my favorites is the Central Park Moonlight Ride.

01-06-14, 10:39 AM

edsall78

718 Cyclery in Gowanus has free wheel building classes..and I think as part of the 2nd class you get to use their tools to put one together. I am pretty sure you don't need to purchase anything from them to use the tools.

Once you take the class--you can take all your parts and put them together using their truing stand, dishing tool and, I'm pretty sure they have a tensionometer since they showed it to the class.

Also the place is awesome. The website is a little funky though. But, if you email joe at info@718c.com he tends to respond pretty quickly.

Hey, thanks for the tip about 718cycles. I'd never heard of them, and I'm in Park Slope all the time. I've sent them an email as you suggested.

01-08-14, 05:22 AM

zacster

Wheelbuilding class will be sometime in February. I don't think I'll wait that long once I get my parts.

01-10-14, 01:17 PM

Little Darwin

Quote:

Originally Posted by zacster

Wheelbuilding class will be sometime in February. I don't think I'll wait that long once I get my parts.

If a reader of this thread made the assumption that you did nothing in the interim, they would wonder why you can't wait for next month when you have already been waiting for 4 years. :D

But the main reason I am typing is that I love visiting Fremont when I am in the northwest. I lived in that area when I was in kindergarten, a little over 50 years ago... and I have enjoyed driving through and checking out that area whenever I am in the Puget Sound area visiting family. Thanks for the momentary flashback from 4 years ago. :)

01-11-14, 05:50 AM

zacster

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Darwin

If a reader of this thread made the assumption that you did nothing in the interim, they would wonder why you can't wait for next month when you have already been waiting for 4 years. :D

But the main reason I am typing is that I love visiting Fremont when I am in the northwest. I lived in that area when I was in kindergarten, a little over 50 years ago... and I have enjoyed driving through and checking out that area whenever I am in the Puget Sound area visiting family. Thanks for the momentary flashback from 4 years ago. :)

You missed the part where I said I'm looking to build wheels AGAIN. I did my other one when I first posted 4 years ago. I still don't have a stand, a dishing tool, nor a tensionometer, but since I did the last one by ear, and I still ride it without having to re-true it 4 years later, I must have done a good job.

I'm only in a rush to build because this will be my first dynamo wheel and I want to see how it performs with the light.

Fremont when I lived in Seattle in the 80s was still a pretty sleepy place. When I was back a few year ago I saw that it had changed a lot.